What Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

In any given year, tens of millions of accidents, such as car crashes and slip and falls, occur throughout the country. Many accident victims are accompanied by devastating consequences, ranging from severe bodily harm and psychological trauma to costly property damage and medical expenses. Those who have suffered injuries caused by another’s carelessness often find themselves under demanding physical, emotional, and financial circumstances. Fortunately, victims can seek representation from legal professionals called personal injury attorneys. This type of lawyer specializes in pursuing civil litigation for damages resulting from negligence and recklessness. While personal injury claims often vary significantly from case to case and victim to victim, retaining an attorney will provide you with the best chance of maximizing your compensation.

The Basic Job Description of a Personal Injury Attorney

Although you have probably seen advertisements for personal injury lawyers just about everywhere, you may not understand precisely what they do. A personal injury attorney performs numerous duties, including:

1. Case Evaluations: After discussing the details surrounding an accident and the scope of the client’s injuries, an attorney will work to establish liability and ascertain the best course of action. 
2. Advise Clients: Lawyers help their clients navigate all aspects of a claim from start to finish. This often entails providing crucial guidance and objective opinions about a case so that clients can make the best choices. 
3. Perform Detailed Investigations: An attorney will investigate the accident upon accepting a claim. This often involves gathering and preserving all relevant evidence, retaining expert witnesses, taking pictures of the scene and injuries, collecting and reviewing medical records and police reports, interviewing potential witnesses, and attaining surveillance footage.
4. Filing a Claim: Before filing a lawsuit, lawyers usually initiate a claim with the defendant’s insurance policy and attempt to negotiate a lucrative settlement with the assigned adjuster. The attorney may send a demand letter summarizing their client’s damages and desired compensation amount during this time.  
5. Conduct Discovery: Each party analyzes the other’s side’s legal claims and defenses during discovery. The process consists of submitting requests for interrogatories and desired documents and taking dispositions of the pertinent witnesses. 
6. Negotiate a Settlement: The primary mission of a personal injury lawyer is to make their clients whole again. As such, a dedicated lawyer will be in constant communication with the defense to try and reach a reasonable settlement. Settlement negotiations may also include mediation or arbitration.
7. Take the Case to Trial: If the insurance company refuses to settle, the case will proceed to trial. At court, a personal injury lawyer presents all of the supporting evidence, like photos, police reports, witnesses, and surveillance videos, to convince the jury. 

Discuss Your Case with an Elite Buffalo, New York Personal Injury Lawyer

Obtaining the highest compensation is easy when you have the finest personal injury lawyer in Western New York fighting for you. Jed Dietrich, Esq., acclaimed as an Attorney and Practice Magazine’s Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney, has recovered over $175,000,000.00 in verdicts and settlements for his clients. Contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s leading team today for your free consultation. We are available twenty-four-seven at 716-839-3939 or by completing our online consultation form.